|
City of Sparks Selected to Participate
in FEMA Field Tests New School Safety Technology
System provides virtual tour of facilities
Who to Contact | Jan. 24, 2001 Meeting | Sponsors
"Thank You"
PiPS Background
Back to Safe Schools Directory | Back to Site Directory
| The City
of Sparks is among seven communities participating in a three-month pilot test project of
the Pre-Incident Plan System (PiPS). PiPS is a new tool that will help assist
emergency first responders take virtual tours of schools and other facilities. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Littleton Colorado Fire
Department selected the communities for the pilot test. Participating communities are: El
Paso County, Colo.; Bozeman, Mont.; Sparks, Nev.; Corvallis, Ore.; Sioux Falls, S.D.;
Watertown, S.D.; and Casper/Natrona County, Wyo.
The City of Sparks Pre-Incident Plan System planning
meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 24th from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Sparks City Hall,
431 Prater Way in the Council Chambers. The purpose of the meeting will be to introduce
PiPS and coordinate activities for collecting data necessary for the pilot test project
with the Washoe County School District.
Back to Top
"It's an honor to be included in this
program," said Steve Mulvenon, Communications Director for the Washoe County School
District. "In the event of a major critical incident, we know that all of the
local agencies will be involved and they all need the best information we can provide
them," Mulvenon added.
"We are very excited about being included in this test," said Dee Beaugez,
Project Impact Coordinator for the City of Sparks. "In the past most emergency
planners, fire and police departments have relied on paper preplans of school. With the
Pre-Incident Plan System, first responders will be able to instantly view a target hazard
through the use of digital photos, videos and 'virtual tours.' We will be working
hand-in-hand with the Washoe County School District to collect data from every school in
Washoe County."
"I would think that our various emergency services would love to have information
included in the Pre-Incident Plan System at their disposal," said Principal Neil
Schott from Jessie Beck Elementary School. "In reviewing the PiPS template, I found
myself thinking about parts of my school that I haven't really thought of before, in terms
of risk and staff education." Principal Schott will be participating in the pilot
test project.
Safe Schools Committee members who will be working on the PiPS Pilot
Test Project will include representatives from the City of Sparks Public Works Department,
Information Technology Division, GPS/GIS Division, Fire Department and Police Department.
Washoe County School District emergency managers, principals, maintenance
personnel, and teachers will participate in the project.
Thanks to Community Supporters &
Contributors
Additional participants will include State Office of Emergency
Management representatives, emergency managers and photographers. To date, businesses
participating in the project include: IBM Global Services, Bret Woodworth (CA); First
Impressions Plus, Vickee Greer; Visual Imagry, Inc., Dee Beaugez; Starbucks, and American
National Insurance, Al Dennis.
The City of Sparks Project Impact campaign has begun fund-raising
efforts for this vital project. To date, sponsors and contributors include: FEMA (Project
Impact Grant funding); the City of Sparks; Ruth Gregory, CPA; Judy Henderson; Red Rock
Hounds; Sierra Schools Federal Credit Union; The English Shoppe; Sue Cliff; First
Impressions Plus; Southwest Color; Visual Imagry, Inc.; and FBN Computing. |
Back to Top
For information how you can become
part of the Sparks Project Impact Campaign and contrinute to the Safe Schools Project,
visit out web site at www.disasterplans.com.
Order your "Project Impact" Music CD and help!
http://www.disasterplans.com/pi_music_cds.htm
If you would like to participate in the Safe Schools project, please call Ben Hutchins,
Project Impact Steering Committee Chairman, at the City of Sparks Public Works Department
at 425-353-1619.
You may also e-mail Dee Beaugez, Project Impact Coordinator, at dbeaugez@visual-imagry.com or call
775-742-0910.
Back to Top
Continued..... |
Back to SS
Directory | Back to Site Directory
PiPS Background
The selection of the participating communities was made by the Littleton (CO) fire
department and by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). All participants in the
(PiPS) pilot test program will be providing feedback to Captain Jim Olsen.
Each of the communities either participates in or lies within a county that
participates in FEMA’s Project Impact, Building Disaster Resistant Communities.
Launched nationwide in 1997, Project Impact encourages communities to take steps that will
reduce or prevent damage before disasters strike. The City of Sparks was one of the 10
communities honored by FEMA as a "Star Community" during the 2000 Summit in
Washington D.C. There are 250 Project Impact Communities throughout the United States and
ten FEMA regions.
Rick Weiland, director of Region VIII of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said
the field test, which is led by FEMA, will help in fine-tuning the (PiPS) developed by the
Littleton (Colo.) Fire Department.
"We envision that PiPS will enable firefighters and paramedics to quickly see just
how things are arranged in the buildings where they respond," Weiland said. "By
knowing how to get to the library or chemistry lab, where a hallway leads and where
turn-off valves are, first responders will be able to avoid hotspots and go directly where
they are most needed."
Traditionally, emergency personnel have at best had access either to skimpy information
or to bulky volumes with complex and, in some cases, outdated drawings of community
facilities, along with other information. While such documents may contain useful
information, they are often difficult to use in urgent situations.
When the template developed by Littleton Fire Department Captain Jim Olsen is filled
out, it allows emergency personnel to simply slip a compact disk into a computer and, in a
few clicks, see a floor plan and take a virtual walk-through a facility, complete with
360-degree panoramic views of key spaces. The template format also includes such vital
details as contact information, school hours, numbers of students and staff and locations
of hydrants and electrical, water and gas switches.
The communities’ field testing the templates will use their own equipment,
including digital cameras, to create virtual walk-through of schools. Olsen estimates that
it has generally taken him10 to 12 hours to create a walk-though for an elementary school
and 20 hours for a high school.
"Anyone who has ever used the Internet can master this system in minutes,"
Olsen said. "Many sixth-graders now create their own web sites and ‘virtual
tours’ of homes for sale are common on many real estate web sites. The ability to use
the same technology to save lives and property is too valuable to dismiss."
End
Back to Top |
Back
to SS Directory | Back to Site Directory
- Web Site -
For information how you can become part of the Sparks Project Impact
Campaign, visit the web site at www.disasterplans.com.
- If you would like to participate in the project, please call Ben Hutchins, Project
impact Steering Committee Chairman, at the City of Sparks Public Works Department at
425-353-1619.
- You may also e-mail Dee Beaugez, Project Impact Coordinator, at dbeaugez@visual-imagry.com or call 775-742-0910.
|
Back to Top |
